In December of 2010 Anonymous came to the defense of and began supporting the organization WikiLeaks and it’s besieged founder Julian Assange. As many will remember this initially took the form of several online protests against MasterCard, VISA and PayPal – for which 14 brave Anons in the USA stand indicted. During that time we also launched the first ever DdoS by Anonymous against a western government when we attacked the Swedish Prosecutors office in defense of Julian. Since that time, Anonymous has been a steadfast ally of both WikiLeaks and Assange. We have provided some of the biggest leaks since the infamous cables were disclosed, incuding the Syria Files and the GI (Stratfor) Files – for which Jeremy Hammond now rots in a prison accused of supplying. We have continued to risk lengthy prison sentences by attacking dozens of web sites in the UK and Sweden to bring attention to Assange’s plight. And most recently, when we received word the UK Police were about to raid the UK Embassy it was Anonymous who rallied hundreds of people to go to the Ecuador Embassy in London to defend Ecuador’s sovereignty and Julian.

To this day, not ONE single WikiLeaks staff are charged or incarcerated. However, Anonymous has 14 indicted (facing 15 years) for online protests defending WikiLeaks – and one (Jeremy Hammond) in prison and facing 20 years for allegedly supplying the Stratfor GI Files. Not to mention the heroic Bradley Manning who now rots in Ft. Leavenworth Prison facing life. Despite that fact, WikiLeaks has chosen to dishonor and insult Anonymous and all information activists by prostituting the Stratfor Files and other disclosures that Hammond and Manning stand accused of supplying. Since yesterday visitors of the Wikileaks site are presented a red overlay page that demands they donate money. This page cannot be closed, and unless a donation is made – the content like GI Files are not displayed.

We are aware that the donation paywall can be circumvented by disabling Javascript. However, this is not the point. Neither is Anonymous concerned that WikiLeaks is asking for donations. However, we do see a serious problem in the way WikiLeaks is implementing this for several reasons. First of all, the casual user (which is the majority) usually have Javascript enabled and thus will be blocked by the donation page and denied the content. Additionally, the casual user does not know that he needs to disable javascript to get to the content without paying – sorry, donating. They may not even know what javascript is, let alone how to disable it. Lastly, regardless of any workarounds, the fact remains that a meretricious page is placed for the majority of visitors that cannot be closed. The obvious intention is to force donations in exchange for access. This is a filthy and rotten, wholly un-ethical action – and Anonymous is enraged.

We have been worried about the direction Wikileaks is going for sometime now. In the past year the focus has moved away from actual leaks and the fight for freedom of information and concentrated more and more on Julian Assange and a rabid scrounging for money. When this “paywall” appeared last night, there was a brief and intense exchange online between Anonymous and WikiLeaks. Within two hours all of the “paywalls” were removed. At that point Anonymous was willing to let this pass, for the sake of peace in the over all movement. But now tonight, as if taunting us to rage – the “paywalls” reappeared not just on sections of the site but for every single file. Enough! We have numerous disclosure platforms of our own, and in the future we will deliver Anonymous related leaks via these platforms. (See List At Bottom Of Page)

Anonymous has had enough. The conclusion for us is that Anonymous cannot support anymore what Wikileaks has become. We will NOT attack the web assets of WikiLeaks, as they are media. We do not attack media. Any future attack on the WikiLeaks servers attributed to Anonymous is a lie. But what we will do is cease from this day all support of any kind for WikiLeaks or Julian Assange. No longer will Anonymous risk prison to defend WikiLeaks or Julian Assange from their enemies. No longer will Anonymous risk prison to supply material for WikiLeaks disclosures. Anonymous turns it’s back on WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks has with it’s actions this past 48 hours betrayed Anonymous, and thus has lost it’s biggest and most powerful supporter. We are preparing for the media a detailed dossier of all the un-ethical actions perpetrated by WikiLeaks that we have ignored for so long. A Dox if you will, on WikiLeaks. We will deliver it to the media in a few days, not for vengeance – but as justice for our fallen Anons whom WikiLeaks has chosen by this action to dishonor and disgrace.